VO₂max Training for Masters Cyclists: How to Slow the Decline in Aerobic Capacity

Lamentably, as we age, our VO₂max — the key marker of aerobic fitness — naturally starts to decline.

For sedentary individuals after the age of approximately 40, this decline can reach up to 10% per decade.For highly trained athletes who maintain specific VO₂max training, that rate can be slowed to around 5% per decade(Lakatta, 2005).

At DUCHY, we work with competitive cyclists and busy professionals over 40 who want to maintain or even improve this crucial measure of endurance performance.

Why VO₂max Decreases With Age

VO₂max declines with age due to a combination of cardiovascular, muscular, and vascular changes.

• Cardiovascular: Maximal heart rate decreases and, to a lesser extent, stroke volume — together reducing maximal cardiac output, the total blood the heart can pump per minute.

• Vascular: With age, arterial stiffening and reduced endothelial function limit the ability of blood vessels to dilate, impairing oxygen delivery to working muscles (Fleg et al., 2015).

• Muscular: Sarcopenia (loss of muscle mass and capillary density) and reduced mitochondrial efficiency lower the muscle’s capacity to extract and utilise oxygen.

Together, these central (heart and vessels) and peripheral (muscle and cellular) changes explain the gradual decline in VO₂max seen with ageing.

How Cyclists Over 40 Can Counteract It

You can face the issue head-on with effective, targeted VO₂max training — but there’s one fundamental rule:

You Must Get Fresh

Before each VO₂max workout, ensure you are well rested, well fuelled, and highly motivated.

For all athletes — but especially those over 40 — being fully recovered is essential.Without full recovery, heart rate response is blunted and it becomes impossible to reach the physiological threshold required for meaningful adaptation.

To maximise benefits, you must sustain 90–95% of maximum heart rate during VO₂ intervals.At or above this level, the body operates at the limit of oxygen delivery and utilisation, driving the cardiac and vascular adaptations that raise VO₂max (Lakatta, 2005).

When fatigue suppresses heart rate, even well-designed intervals fail to stimulate the heart and lungs effectively — meaning less progress for more effort.

Why Hitting the Zone Matters for Older Cyclists

As maximal heart rate naturally declines with age, so does cardiac output potential — leaving older athletes with less physiological “headroom.”

To preserve or slow the decline in VO₂max, masters cyclists must fully engage their remaining cardiac reserve.Failing to reach ≥90% HRmax means missing the cardiovascular load that maintains heart size, stroke volume, blood volume, and aerobic efficiency — the very foundations of endurance performance.

Key Takeaway

Ageing inevitably reduces VO₂max, but the rate and extent of that decline are highly trainable.

For masters cyclists, the goal isn’t to work harder — it’s to train smarter.Arrive at each VO₂ session fully recovered, properly fuelled, and ready to drive heart rate into the 90–95% zonewhere true central adaptations occur.

That’s how you protect performance, extend your peak years, and continue riding stronger — decade after decade.

Get in Touch!

If this resonates with you and you’d like to learn more about how we help athletes exceed their goals, we offer a free 20-minute performance consultation. 

We’ll dig into your training & nutrition, discuss your goals, and pinpoint the adjustments that will make the biggest difference to your results.

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